What a Bride Wants (2 page)

“
That’s the spirit. Is Samuel T. still throwing second-born sons of wealthy ranchers at you?”

“
Yep.”

“
Anyone interesting?”

“
Nope.”

“
You know, you could direct some of them my way. I could find a real soft spot for the second-born son of a wealthy rancher. Even a third-born son. You should organize a party out at your place. A midsummer night’s ball.”

“
Me?
Organize a ball?”

“
Why not? You organize everything else. Your father would be ecstatic and so would I. Remember me? Your poor single friend?”

“
No balls. The Graff Hotel is having a ball. Go to that.”

“
I
am
going to that. And so are you.”

“
We’re having a barn dance in April, if that helps any? My father offered the ranch as the venue the other day and the chamber of commerce took him up on it. It’s promo for a big wedding giveaway competition. Apparently Marietta’s going into the destination wedding trade.”

“
But that’s wonderful! Entertainment on our doorstep.
Brides
on our doorstep, brightening our day. I may need to invent a bridal relaxation massage package.”

“
You should.”

“
Tell me you’re inviting me for a sleepover on the night of the dance.”

“
You’re invited for a sleepover the night of the dance.”

“
I
knew
we were friends for a reason.”

They
’d reached the doors of the saloon. Jo moved forward and pushed her way inside. Soft wafts of warm air met them first. Then the mellow twang of well-played acoustic guitar drifted over them. Ella looked toward the scarred wooden bar to the bartender behind it, but it was only Reese Kendrick, the saloon manager. Reese was gorgeous, no question, but he was a hard man to know, and an intimidating man, period. The only woman to ever undo Reese had been Loreli Grey… and Loreli was long gone.

A waitress headed their way. Ella knew her too.
Mardie Griffin had been two years ahead of her in school and effortlessly popular, but all that had fallen away when she’d met a man who’d led with pretty words and followed up with his fists. Mardie had divorced him eighteen months into the marriage, and these days worked her butt off at Grey’s to keep herself and her one-year-old daughter fed.

Mardie
greeted them with a cheerful smile. “Ladies. Table for two?”

“
Booth, if you can swing it,” said Jo.

“
I can swing it.”

“
Sawyer working tonight?” Jo asked next.

“
Not you too.” Mardie’s voice was dry, very dry.

“
Ella Grace wants a look. She’s hoping he’ll spark a little something deep down inside. I’m hoping to say I told you so.”

Mardie
laughed. “He’s not exactly docile. And I don’t think marriage is on his agenda.”

“
It’s not on mine either,” offered Ella.

Mardie
slid her a puzzled glance. “So what was with the ad? Not that it wasn’t awesome, because it was.”

Ella blinked
in confusion, and then shrugged it off. Maybe Mardie was talking about some television commercial. Given that Ella rarely watched television at all, it stood to reason that she had no idea what the other woman was talking about.

They were
halfway to the booth when Ella realized that something other was going on. Lots of eyes in this here saloon for it was Friday night and a snowy, wintery one at that. Lots of eyes fixed on her. A pair of women laughed suddenly, over by the bulletin board. Reese Kendrick looked her way and there was a warning for her in his dark, dangerous gaze… and what the hell was that for? Ella had done nothing to fan his ire of late. That she knew of. “Am I missing something?” she asked warily.

“
The ad,” Mardie answered, equally wary now. “
Your
ad. In the classifieds.”

Ella shook her head.
“I never put any ad in the classifieds.”

“
Go Ella!” A wolf howl followed, and Ella had no idea what that meant either.

“
Mardie, I’m lost.”

“
How about you settle in that booth right there and I’ll bring you the paper.”

“
Yes, but what’s that got to do with anythi—”

Mardie
slipped away fast and Ella walked to the booth on suddenly wooden legs. She eased into the bench seat and frowned when Jo took the seat opposite. “Do
you
know what she’s talking about?”

Jo shook her head
.

“
I have a really bad feeling about this.” It was that sinking sensation, the one she only got when she’d screwed up but good.

And then
Mardie was back, drinks tray in hand and the local newspaper tucked under one arm. “Here you go, ladies. Two grapefruit daiquiris on me. Ella, yours is a double ‘cause you’re going to need it.” Mardie set the pretty yellowy-orange colored cocktails down in front of them. The paper got slapped down on the table next. It was open at the personal classifieds.

Someone had drawn a fat red c
ircle around one of the ads. Within the fat circle was a photograph of Ella.

“
But I didn’t
put
any ad in the classifieds,” Ella protested, and then memory kicked in…

Lapdogs.

Her increasingly frustrated father, when it came to Ella settling down and giving him grandchildren.

Oh,
no
.

Ella whimpered, there was no other word for it.
She’d become a whimpering woman.

“
Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” demanded Jo.

“
I may have annoyed my father the other night,” Ella offered jaggedly. “More than I thought. A lot. He’s been threatening to send me to Dallas. I refused to go, and then there was talk about putting an ad in the paper. I didn’t think he’d
do
it.”

“
An ad for what?” asked Jo.

Ella
couldn’t bear to look.

Mardie
sent her a sympathetic glance. “Apparently Ella’s after a docile house-husband.”

Jo
snatched for the Copper Mountain Courier at the same time Ella did. Ella got there first and wore Jo’s slender body slamming up against her side a heartbeat later.

“
Oh, look,” Jo said helpfully. “A picture of you. And it’s a good one.”

“
Color too,” Mardie pointed out. “Only colored ad on the page. Makes it
pop
.”

“
Make it
stop
,” muttered Ella as Mardie hastened away, trying to disguise her smile.

The heading
on the ad was arresting.

DOCILE HOUSE HUSBAND WANTED

They read in silence. Moments later, Jo’s hand crept up to cover her mouth.

“
If you laugh—” Ella threatened darkly. At which point her sweet and ever loving childhood companion did a mighty fine impression of someone about to cough up a cow.

It was a full
one minute and thirty-seven seconds before Jo could even speak. “I’m not laughing. I was choking.”

“
Have you read down further?”

Jo
nodded vigorously. “I particularly like the bit about him needing to be able to cook, clean, iron, keep a tidy house, and raise well-mannered, obedient children.”

“
And the rest?”

“
Well, who wouldn’t want a man who’s committed to due diligence, the greater good, and sparkling silverware?”

Ella draine
d her drink in one long swallow and signaled for another. “I’m going to kill him.”

“
Shush. If you tell everyone about it beforehand, you’re not going to be able to claim temporary insanity. What do you think
excellent remuneration package
means?”

“
It means I’m going to kill him.”

Another grapefruit daiquiri
got plonked down on the table in front of her. They must have had it waiting. “It’s still on the house,” drawled Mardie. “Reese says don’t do anything stupid. Me, I figured you might want to know that some bright spark pinned the ad to the bulletin board too. You want me to take it down?”

“
I want a piece of paper,” Ella grated.

“
Better than a gun,” Jo said and Mardie nodded her agreement.

By the time
Mardie returned with a writing pad with the saloon’s logo scrawled across the top, Ella’s temper had settled to a slow seethe and she had her chin up and her mortification almost under control.

“
You ready to order?” Mardie asked. “Not that I’m rushing you.”

“
Give us another few minutes.” The title would need to be eye-catching. Large print.

PERFECT LOVER WANTED

“Oh, yay,” said Mardie and was gone again before Ella could gift her with a glare.

Instead, Ella underlined her heading and
started in on the specific skill set required.

“
Experienced, attentive, innovative—

“
Male,” Jo added. “You’d better put down male.”

“
Experienced attentive innovative
male
bedmate required for hardworking cattle dynasty heiress with no time to meet a man and no desire for a husband of any kind, docile or otherwise. Should I ask for references?”

“
Yes.”

“
References required. Ability to alienate meddlesome father essential.”

“
You need to ask for a photo and a phone number as well. I know how this works.”

Ella dutifully wrote
“Attach photo and contact details below.”

“
Please,” said Jo. “
Please
attach photo and contact details below. You don’t want to come across as demanding.”

Ella dutifully added please to the front of the sentence.
“It still sounds demanding.”